Allen Ancestors

Ellen Allen was born in about 1800 in Bruff, Limerick, Ireland. She married Thomas Hickey of Lough Gur 26 August 1823 in Bruff. (No witnesses were listed for this marriage).

The couples having children at that time were Thomas Allen and Honora Power, James Allen and Mary Hallinan, Thomas Allen and Catherine Kirby, and Patrick Allen and Mary Donovon. Ellen and Thomas Hickey's children were in order - sons, Patrick, Thomas, Maurice and John, daughters - Mary, Catherine, Bridget, Mary, and Ellen. According to Irish naming tradition, Thomas' parents were most likely Patrick and Mary. Ellen's parents were most likely Thomas and Catherine. So it seems most probable that Thomas Allen and Catherine Kirby were Ellen's parents.

The Bruff parish registers begin in November 1781, although there are gaps from September 1782 to December 1807. These are the Allen families that were found in the parish of Bruff at that time.

These Allens are likely of an older generation, having children that appear in the start of the parish register in the 1780s. They are not likely to be Ellen's parents, since she was born in about 1800.

Patrick Allen (born about 1750) and Mary Donovan had the following children:

John, christened 24 June 1785 in Bruff. Sponsors: Andrew McGrath, Mary Hartney.
Patrick, christened 19 January 1789 in Bruff. Sponsors: Con Donovan, Ellen Daw. (This Patrick is indicated on several Ancestry family trees as having children born in Baggotstown.)

Stephen, christened 2 January 1788 in Bruff. Sponsors: John Donovan, Mary Donovan.

James was a sponsor for the baptism of Thomas of James Joyce and Mary Costello on 10 August 1808.

These Allens are likely of the next generation, having children in the early 1800s, and are of an age to be Ellen's parents.

Thomas Allen (born about 1770) married Catherine Kirby 23 November 1797 in Bruff. Witnesses were Edmond Kirby and Daniel Kirby. They had the following children:

x Ellen, born in about 1800 in Bruff; married Thomas Hickey 26 August 1823 in Bruff; died in 1889 in Lough Gur.
Bridget, christened 13 April 1810 in Bruff. Sponsors: James Kirby, Margaret Kirby.
Jane, christened 4 February 1813 in Bruff. Sponsors: Charles McCarthy and Ellen Kirby.
David, christened 10 January 1816 in Bruff. Sponsors: Maurice Slattery and Mary Daniher. (An inquiry placed by David's nephew Morris Hickey in the Boston Pilot in 1867 confirms the sibling relationship between Ellen Allen Hickey and David.)
Patrick, christened 26 April 1820 in Bruff. Sponsors: James O'Donnell, Mary Allen.

Richard Allen married Ellen Collins 8 November 1801 in Bruff. Witnesses: James Collins and John Collins.

John, christened 20 November 1810 in Bruff. Sponsors: Michael Hastings, Margaret Carroll.
Jane, christened 6 May 1813 in Bruff.

Patrick Allen (born 1789) and Jane Kennedy were married 24 May 1812 in Bruff. Witnesses were Thomas Allen and Ellen Kennedy. Patrick had children christened in Baggotstown.

Mary, christened 17 August 1813 in Bruff. Sponsors: Thomas Allen, Ellen Naughton.
Ellen, christened 14 March 1818 in Bruff. Sponsors: Thomas Allen, Joanna Kennedy.
John, christened 26 June 1823 in Knockainy. Sponsors: Michael Hinchy, Ellen Quinlan
Michael, christened 28 August 1825 in Knockainy. Sponsors: Frances Bourke, Mary Allen.
James, christened 18 September 1829 in Knockainy. Sponsors: Dennis Slattery, Mary Noonan.

Patrick Allen and Jane Kirby (this is most likely Jane Kennedy) had the following children:

Patrick, christened 23 August 1821 in Knockainy. Sponsors: Michael Gillan, Mary Gorman

James Allen married Elizabeth Herlihy 11 February 1812 in Bruff. Witnesses were Patrick Herlihy and James Wheland. James Allen and Sarah Herlihy (assuming these are the same people) had the following children:

Mary, christened 4 April 1813 in Bruff. Sponsors: Patrick Herlihy, Catherine Allen.
Honora, christened 15 1814 in Bruff.
Henry, christened 22 April 1815 in Bruff. Sponsors: Tom Allen, Mary Whelan.
John, christened 7 June 1816 in Bruff. Sponsors: Michael Connors, Mary Herlihy.
Margaret, christened 25 June 1817 in Bruff. Sponsors: Patrick Bolster, Ellen Divine.
Ellen, christened 8 January 1819 in Bruff. Sponsors: Patrick Herlihy, Margaret Herlihy

Mary, christened 7 January 1810 in Bruff. Sponsors: Patrick Hogan, Catherine Allen
John, christened 14 September 1811 in Bruff. Sponsors: Patrick Guire, Janet Kennedy
Patrick, christened 19 April 1813 in Bruff. Sponsors: Tom Allen, Catherine Allen
Catherine, christened 8 July 1815 in Bruff. Sponsors: Thady Garland, Mary Garland.
Michael, christened 20 March 1818 in Bruff. Sponsors: John Moloney, Ellen Meehan.
Thomas, christened 9 August 1825 in Knockainy. Sponsors: John Fitzgerald, Joanna Healy

Johanna Allen married Michael Hastings 24 February 1811 in Bruff. Witnesses: James Birrane, Thomas Allen.

Margaret Allen married David Fitzgibbon and had a daughter Bridget christened in 1813.

Mary Allen married Timothy Cannon 25 January 1828 in Bruff. Witnesses: Bartholomew Cannon, Honora Madden.

Margaret Allen married Timothy Molony 19 February 1828 in Bruff. Witnesses: James Kirby, Catherine Molony

Patrick Allen married Catherine O'Neill 30 September 1832 in Bruff. Witnesses: David Healey, John McAuliffe.

No Allens are found in the Tithe Applotment for Bruff in 1833, or Griffiths Valuation for Bruff in 1850. Catherine Allen was listed in the Tithe Applotment in the neighboring townland of Tullabracky, and is likely Catherine Kirby Allen.

Only one Allen is found in Griffiths Valuation in the neighboring parish of Knockainy in 1850: Patrick Allen of Baggotstown West. Baggotstown is about two miles south of Bruff.

Griffiths Valuation, Baggotstown West townland, Knockainy parish, 1851

Patrick Allen is found on the same lot as Edmund Kirby, Lot 11 as a next-door neighbor. Both Patrick and Edmund had just a house and garden, with less than 1/4 acre. Both rented the property at will, not under a lease, from Patrick Blewett. Daniel Kirby also leased over 15 acres with a house, offices and land. Patrick and Edmond must have been farm laborers, or elderly, as the small amount of land was too small to support a family. Perhaps they worked on Daniel's property.

House Book, Baggotstown townland, 1848

Patrick lived next to Edmond in the House Book created in 1848 in preparation for Griffiths Valuation three years later. Patrick's house was 27 feet long by 21 1/2 feet wide byt 7.9 feet tall. It was rated 3C+ which indicates that it was an old thatched roof house of stone walls with mud mortar, or mud walls of the best kind. It was old, but in repair. Edmond's house was about the same size, and in the same condition. Neither Patrick nor Edmond were farming with that small quantity of land.

The Ordinance Survey maps created in preparation for Griffiths Valuation show changes in Baggotstown West townland. Nineteen lots are named in Griffiths in Baggotstown West. Later maps show only eight lots.

Ordinance survey map of Baggotstown West townland
Daniel and Edmond lived on what became Lot 2.

OS map Baggotstown West close

Close-up view of the lots occupied by Patrick Allen, Edmond Kirby and Daniel Kirby,
The small drawing between b and c indicates two adjoining houses.

Patrick and Edmond lived in the two small houses indicated by the arrow, right next door to each other. Edmond was in house b, and Patrick in house c. Daniel lived just feet away, in Lot 8A above them on the map, and also farmed Lot 8B.

There was another connection between the Kirbys and Baggotstown, as shown on the gravestone inscription of Catherine's brother John Kirby in St. Molon cemetery in Tullabracky:

Erected By
Mrs Kirby of Baggottstown
in memory of her beloved
Husband John Kirby
who departed this life on
the 2nd of November 1857
aged 65 years also in
memory of her two daughters Mary and
Bridget Kirby
May They Rest In Peace

So, John Kirby and Edmond Kirby, Catherine's brothers, were living in Baggotstown near Patrick Allen in the late 1840s and 1850s.

So, who was this Patrick Allen? There is a obviously a strong connection between Patrick Allen of Baggotstown and the Kirbys. Was he Thomas Allen's brother, and Catherine Kirby Allen's brother-in-law? The Patrick Allen who was born in 1789 in Bruff, must have moved from Bruff to Baggotstown between 1818 and 1821. He was married, and his children's baptisms took place up until 1818 in Bruff, then the next child was baptized in Baggotstown in 1821. He had several children christened in Knockainy parish: Patrick (1821), John (1823), Michael (1825), Patrick (1826), James (1832), Anasticia (1833), and Jane (1837). Several of the children (including Patrick, James and Jane) emigrated to Massachusetts in the early 1850s, including Patrick and James. An inquiry was placed in The Boston Pilot by Patrick jr., looking for news of his brother James's arrival, which mentioned Baggotstown: "James Allen, from Baggots Town, parish of Knocany, Ireland is requested to come to North Wrentham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, or give notice where he may be found to his brother, Patrick Allen, residing at said place." (The Boston Pilot, 21 June 1851 on www.ancestry.com)

Patrick Allen, senior, was 62 years old at the time of Griffiths Valuation. Edmond was Catherine Kirby Allen's brother, born in about 1780, so was about 71 at the time of Griffiths Valuation. Most of Patrick's children were grown or emigrated at the time. It seems likely that the Patrick Allen living in Baggotstown in 1851 was this Patrick Allen. There are strong, likely familial connections between Patrick Allen and Catherine's family, the Kirbys. Information on Ancestry from Patrick Allen's descendants link him to Patrick Allen and Mary Donovan as his parents.

Who were Thomas Allen's parents? He was born in about 1770 of Bruff, before the parish records began. His parents were probably born in about 1740 - 1750, so may have had children through the early 1790s. It is likely that his parents may have had children into the 1780s. This would make Thomas Allen and Honora Power, Patrick Allen and Mary Donovan, or James Allen and Mary Hallinan his possible parents. Possibly Thomas, Patrick and James were brothers. Thomas and Catherine Allen did have a son named Patrick, but several of their children were born during a gap in the registers. Thomas and Ellen Hickey did have sons named Thomas and Patrick, but not James. They had two subsequent daughters named Mary, but no Honora.

There were three Thomas Allens in Bruff in the late 1700s and early 1800s:

Thomas Allen, born about 1750, who married Honora Power.
Thomas Allen, born about 1770, who married Catherine Kirby.
Thomas Allen, born about 1790 who married Ellen Kennedy.

One of the Thomas Allens was a witness at Patrick Allen's wedding, a sponsor for Patrick's daughter in 1813, and then another daughter in 1818. Considering the timing, the naming traditions, and the connections to Patrick Allen, it seems most likely that Thomas Allen, born about 1770, was the son of Patrick Allen and Mary Donovan.

Thomas Allen was born in about 1770 of Bruff, County Limerick, Ireland, likely the son of Patrick Allen and Mary Donovan. Thomas Allen married Catherine Kirby 23 November 1797 in Bruff. Witnesses were Edmond Kirby and Daniel Kirby. They christened their children in Bruff parish, and likely worked and lived on a little farm in Ballynanty, Tullabrackey. Nineteen families lived in the townland, three of them Kirbys, two were O'Donnells, and three were Slatterys.

Catherine is found as head of household in the Tithe Applotment of 1833, living in Ballynanty in nearby Tullabrackey parish. No other Allen families were listed in Ballynanty in 1833, but there are three Kirby households. Thomas has probably died by 1833. This would place his death between about 1820, at the birth of his last child, and 1833. He would have been in his fifties. Perhaps he is buried in the graveyard in Tullabrackey.

*1. Ellen, born in about 1800 in Bruff; married Thomas Hickey 26 August 1823 in Bruff; died in 1889 in Lough Gur.

2. Bridget, christened 13 April 1810 in Bruff. Sponsors: James Kirby, Margaret Kirby.

3. Jane, christened 4 February 1813 in Bruff. Sponsors: Charles McCarthy and Ellen Kirby.

4. David, christened 10 January 1816 in Bruff. Sponsors: Maurice Slattery and Mary Daniher.

5. Patrick, christened 26 April 1820 in Bruff. Sponsors: James O'Donnell, Mary Allen.

SOURCES: Bruff parish register on www.rootsireland.ie; Knockainy Griffiths Valuation online at http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/limerick/knockainy.htm; Knockainy parish register online at www.irelandroots.ie; Searching for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Place in "The Boston Globe" 1831-1920, www.ancestry.com; Tithe Applotment, Tullabrackey parish.

*1. Thomas, born in about 1770 of Bruff; married Catherine Kirby 23 November 1797 in Bruff.

3. Patrick, christened 19 January 1789 in Bruff; married Jane Kennedy 24 May 1812 in Bruff.